SBIR Phase I: Manufacture of Brightly Luminescent Carbon Quantum Dots

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目测试了一种制造Selah Dots(TM)的新的可靠和可扩展的路线，Selah Dots(TM)是一种对生物和环境无害且具有竞争力的重金属量子点成像剂的替代品。Selah Dots(TM)在可见光和近红外区显示出强烈的光致发光，在各种体外诊断应用中提供了比传统荧光染料显著的优势。这项工作的创新将使这些良性和光致发光核壳纳米颗粒的商业生产具有达到或超过现有荧光染料和重金属基量子点的性能标准。这些创新材料将为体外诊断分析提供与竞争对手的成像产品相比的以下性能优势：i.提高信号灵敏度(包括灵敏多光子显微镜的能力)，ii.)提高了检测的特异性，三.)提高了生物兼容性，以及iv.)物化稳定性和光化学稳定性。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是生产Selah Dots，它将以与传统有机染料竞争的低得多的价格提供与昂贵的半导体量子点相当的高度一致的性能水平。据估计，到2010年，全球体外诊断(IVDS)市场规模将超过400亿美元。Selah Dots将首先发现IVD市场的三个细分市场：免疫分析、分子诊断和组织学/细胞学。2010年，Selah Dots技术在这些细分市场的潜在市场预计将达到22亿美元。由Selah Dots制成的生物显像剂将提高重要的体外诊断试验的检测灵敏度和特异性。更高的灵敏度将有助于及早发现疾病；更高的特异性将通过消除复杂和耗时的准备步骤来降低总体诊断成本；由碳核而不是重金属制成的显像剂将减轻传统量子点在商业上采用所带来的潜在环境影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project tests a new robust and scalable route to manufacture Selah Dots(TM), a biologically and environmentally benign and competitive alternative to heavy metal based quantum dot imaging agents. Selah Dots(TM) exhibit strong photoluminescence in the visible and near-infrared regions and offer significant advantages over traditional fluorescent dyes for a variety of in vitro diagnostic applications. The innovation in this work will allow the commercial production of these benign and photoluminescent core-shell nanoparticles with characteristics that meet or exceed the performance criteria of existing fluorescent dyes and heavy metal based quantum dots. These innovative materials will provide the following performance benefits over competing imaging products for in vitro diagnostic assays: i.) improved signal sensitivity (including capability for sensitive multiphoton microscopy), ii.) improved detection specificity, iii.) improved biocompatibility, and iv.) physicochemical and photochemical stability. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to produce Selah Dots which will provide highly consistent performance levels comparable to expensive semiconductor quantum dots at substantially lower price levels competitive with traditional organic dyes. The global market for in-vitro diagnostics (IVDs) is estimated to exceed $40 billion by 2010. Selah Dots will first find market acceptance to three sub-segments of the IVD market: immunoassays, molecular diagnostics, and histology/cytology. The addressable market in these segments for the Selah Dots technology is projected to be $2.2 billion in 2010. A biological imaging agent made from Selah Dots will improve the detection sensitivity and specificity of important in vitro diagnostic tests. Higher sensitivity will promote earlier detection of diseases; higher specificity will lower overall diagnostic costs by eliminating the need for complex and time-consuming preparatory steps; and an imaging agent made with a carbon core instead of heavy metals will mitigate the potential environmental impacts posed by the commercial adoption of traditional quantum dots.